Find out what frequency other wireless networks are on

I am having a lot of drop outs with a new Belkin router and would like to find out what the other 5-6 wireless networks in my area are operating on, is there a decent bit of software free or cheap that can tell me this?

if the 2 are clashing this would be problem matic, i believe channel 1 is used for cordless phones, normally i believe the 2 main channels in use are 11 and 14, you could try a different channel until you hit one where you are not getting drop outs.

Have you checked for latest drivers for nic cards and such? are the netwrok cards the same make as the router? As mixing different bits of kit is not well advised

if the 2 are clashing this would be problem matic, i believe channel 1 is used for cordless phones, normally i believe the 2 main channels in use are 11 and 14, you could try a different channel until you hit one where you are not getting drop outs.

Have you checked for latest drivers for nic cards and such? are the netwrok cards the same make as the router? As mixing different bits of kit is not well advised

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I don't believe the theory that mixing different brands of NIC's and routers is ill advised just for the fact that most NIC's share the same chipset of either Atheros, Ralink or Broadcom amongst some others, they are just stamped Belkin, Linksys, Netgear etc... Thanks for the info on the cordless phones channell.

I don't believe the theory that mixing different brands of NIC's and routers is ill advised just for the fact that most NIC's share the same chipset of either Atheros, Ralink or Broadcom amongst some others, they are just stamped Belkin, Linksys, Netgear etc... Thanks for the info on the cordless phones channell.

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well they may have the same chip or what ever by changes can be made to drivers and such - look at oem drivers, some are heavily edited.

Plus most issues i have seen like that have gone when all one brand was used - still trial and error and you will find the chan you need

If wireless routers near by are operating on the same frequency you can get interference and drop outs.

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Even on my old Belkin Pre-N it told me which channels it was using (by default)

Check your settings dependent upon model, and then change the channel... you could have done this without netstumbler by merely looking at which device you had the higher signal strength on after you changed the channel... (

It was pretty obvious to me exactly what he wanted and why from the original post... but then a good part of my job is desktop support... you ALWAYS have to interpret what they're saying and try to figure out what they actually mean!